Messages

Do you have any closeup views of these fenders?  I've been thinking I'd like to make some that are larger than those on my OC3-42.  I think I'd also like a horizontal surface to rest my feet on instead of the front fender supports.  My fenders are pretty crumpled and are in need of replacement, anyway.

I might have to look at changing the way it mounts to make cleaning the air filter less of a chore.  Along a different line...I had popped the head off to check for a bad head gasket...found one.  Discovered the head was cracked...got another one.  Changed my mind about just getting it running again, so into the shop it went.  I'm going to spend the winter seeing how much trouble I can get into by starting the resto project.  You should have seen the look on my wife's face as I tied an old tire to the blade mount and strapped a 2x6 to the back bumper of my little Ford Ranger.  I couldn't get enough traction out of the pickup to push the OC3 up the slight incline to the garage.  Rats!  Fortunately, I had just enough 3/8 wire rope to latch onto the Oliver, run it through the garage, out the door on the opposite side, and down the hill across the yard.  I wrapped a chain around a big old alder stump and hooked my chainfall to it.  Whew!  Got that little dozer inside on some 3/4 plywood strips from some old concrete forms.  Let 'er rain!  (or snow)

Steve,
Any reason other that maintaining originality?  I was missing the tube from the filter to the carb which got me thinking about upgrading.  I guess that's now moot since I went ahead and ordered one from Zimmerman.

Hey, Everybody
I'm just getting started on my OC3 restoration.  I was making a list of small items that need to be found, replaced, upgraded or fixed.  I'm looking at the oil-bath air filter set up and wondering if I should retain that or adapt a replaceable paper filter.
Rich

I found a bad head gasket, then discovered the head was cracked on top from side to side.  Anyone have a spare IXB-3 head?   As simple as these flatheads are, what other motors would provide an identical head?  I'm pretty dang new to these so I'm wondering just how prevalent these machines are in the Northwest.  I would imagine they're a lot more plentiful back in the Midwest.  Anybody have any thoughts on an OC3 being used with a brush rake to tackle blackberries?  I haven't looked a lot  but I haven't seen much in the way of rakes for small machines.

What all is involved in a 6 to 12 volt conversion on a machine with a magneto? starter? gauges, for sure.

I just bought my first OC 3 (1953).  It came complete with water in the oil and oil in the water.  Is this a cracked block?  Are there any "common" places to start looking for a leak?  I thought head gasket at first, but that doesn't make sense if there's no oil in the head, right?